World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway once again showed why he is the best player in the world. Despite lacklustre recent results and a slow start, he came from behind to win the 7th London Chess Classic last month. After six draws the turning point for Carlsen came in a virtuoso endgame performance to beat USA number one Hikaru Nakamura in round seven. Then a dramatic win in the ninth and final round allowed him to catch the joint leaders and finish in the three way tie for first on 5½/9 with Anish Giri (Netherlands) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France). Having the superior tie-break, Carlsen met the winner of a tie-break rapid match between the other two to decide the final placings. He beat Vachier-Lagrave 1½-½ to win the tournament and top the placings in the inaugural Grand Tour – a trio of events including the Stavanger and St Louis tournaments earlier in the year.
Today's game is between Carlsen (playing White) and Alexander Grischuk of Russia from the final round. Both players needed a win for chance of first place.
1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.O-O a6 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Re1 b5 7.c4 g5!?
A pawn sacrifice Carlsen has faced before in this offbeat variation of the Siclian. by diverting the knight Black temporarily gains the e5 square for his own knight and opens the g-file for a potential attack on the white king. 8.Nxg5 Ne5 9.Be2 bxc4 10.Nc3
Declining to repeat the piece sacrifice 10.Na3 Rg8 11.Nxc4?! which was rewarded by a loss in Carlsen-Topalov, St Louis 2015. 10... Rb8 11.Rf1
Not wanting to part with his bishop when the black knight lands on d3, White makes room to evict it. 11... h6 12.Nf3 Nd3 13.Ne1 Nxb2 14.Bxb2 Rxb2 15.Bxc4 Rb4
The rook can't afford to get trapped by 16.Bb3. 16.Qe2 Bg7 17.Nc2 Rb6 18.Rab1 O-O
Judging his king is safer in the corner at the expense of a few tempi rather than 18... Rg8!? bringing the rook immediately to the open file, when a future f2-f4-f5 thrust by White could open lines on the stranded king. 19.Rxb6 Qxb6 20.Ne3 e6
Black must forbid access to the d5 outpost, but now the white f-pawn has a target. 21.f4! Kh8 22.f5 a5
Freeing the queen from the a-pawn's defence so it can swing over to the kingside. 23.a4 Qd8 24.h3 Qe7 25.Ba6!
By exchanging bishops, White denies Black some attacking potential and makes inroads on the queenside. 25... Bxa6 26.Qxa6 Nh5!
Grabbing the opportunity afforded by the queen's absence to bring his four remaining pieces to bear down on the white king. The play now becomes extremely sharp and White has no time to take the loose pawn on a5. 27.Rf3 Rg8 28.Nb5!?
A deliberately provocative choice, taking another piece away from the defence when 28.Ne2 looks safer. This had to be accompanied by deep calculation, and shows Carlsen's amazing sangfroid under pressure. 28... Be5 29.Ng4 Qh4 30.fxe6 fxe6
A potential chance for the advantage arose here via the exchange sacrifice 30... Rxg4! 31.hxg4 Qh2+ 32.Kf2 Nf4! 33.Rg3 Nxe6! and Black has full compensation for this material and possibly more. 31.Nxe5 dxe5!?
Turning down the chance for a draw by 31... Qe1+! 32.Rf1 (32.Kh2? Nf4! wins for Black!) 32...Rxg2+! 33.Kxg2 Qg3+ 34.Kh1 Qxh3+ with perpetual check. 32.Qxe6 Qe1+?
In severe time trouble Black makes the fatal error, going for a perpetual check that is no longer there. 32... Qg5! 33.g4 Nf4 34.Qf5 Qxf5 35.exf5 h5 and Blacks active pieces offer reasonable drawing chances. 33.Kh2 Rxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Qxd2+
Or 34... Qe2+ 35.Kg1! Qxf3 36.Qxh6+ Kg8 37.Qe6+ Kf8 38.Qf5+ exchanging queens to a winning ending as the black a-pawn will soon be lost giving White two passed rook pawns. 35.Kg1 Qe1+ 36.Rf1 Qe3+ 37.Rf2 Qe1+
Or 37... Qg3+ 38.Kf1 Qd3+ 39.Ke1! Qxe4+ 40.Kd2 Qb4+ 41.Kc2! Qxa4+ 42.Kb2 Qxb5+ (42... Qb4+ 43.Ka2 Qa4+ 44.Na3 and wins) 43.Kc1 when the checks run out and White's queen and rook take over – e.g. 43... Ng7 44.Rf8+ Kh7 45.Qg8+ Kg6 46.Qf7+ Kh7 47.Rg8 and wins. 38.Kg2 Resigns
After either 38... Qxe4+ 39.Kh2! or 38... Nf4+ 39.Rxf4! White escapes the checks with a winning material advantage.
Carlsen back on top
Problem: Black to play and mate in 4.
World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway once again showed why he is the best player in the world. Despite lacklustre recent results and a slow start, he came from behind to win the 7th London Chess Classic last month. After six draws the turning point for Carlsen came in a virtuoso endgame performance to beat USA number one Hikaru Nakamura in round seven. Then a dramatic win in the ninth and final round allowed him to catch the joint leaders and finish in the three way tie for first on 5½/9 with Anish Giri (Netherlands) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France). Having the superior tie-break, Carlsen met the winner of a tie-break rapid match between the other two to decide the final placings. He beat Vachier-Lagrave 1½-½ to win the tournament and top the placings in the inaugural Grand Tour – a trio of events including the Stavanger and St Louis tournaments earlier in the year.
Today's game is between Carlsen (playing White) and Alexander Grischuk of Russia from the final round. Both players needed a win for chance of first place.
1.Nf3 c5
2.e4 d6
3.Bb5+ Nd7
4.O-O a6
5.Bd3 Ngf6
6.Re1 b5
7.c4 g5!?
A pawn sacrifice Carlsen has faced before in this offbeat variation of the Siclian. by diverting the knight Black temporarily gains the e5 square for his own knight and opens the g-file for a potential attack on the white king.
8.Nxg5 Ne5
9.Be2 bxc4
10.Nc3
Declining to repeat the piece sacrifice 10.Na3 Rg8 11.Nxc4?! which was rewarded by a loss in Carlsen-Topalov, St Louis 2015.
10... Rb8
11.Rf1
Not wanting to part with his bishop when the black knight lands on d3, White makes room to evict it.
11... h6
12.Nf3 Nd3
13.Ne1 Nxb2
14.Bxb2 Rxb2
15.Bxc4 Rb4
The rook can't afford to get trapped by 16.Bb3.
16.Qe2 Bg7
17.Nc2 Rb6
18.Rab1 O-O
Judging his king is safer in the corner at the expense of a few tempi rather than 18... Rg8!? bringing the rook immediately to the open file, when a future f2-f4-f5 thrust by White could open lines on the stranded king.
19.Rxb6 Qxb6
20.Ne3 e6
Black must forbid access to the d5 outpost, but now the white f-pawn has a target.
21.f4! Kh8
22.f5 a5
Freeing the queen from the a-pawn's defence so it can swing over to the kingside.
23.a4 Qd8
24.h3 Qe7
25.Ba6!
By exchanging bishops, White denies Black some attacking potential and makes inroads on the queenside.
25... Bxa6
26.Qxa6 Nh5!
Grabbing the opportunity afforded by the queen's absence to bring his four remaining pieces to bear down on the white king. The play now becomes extremely sharp and White has no time to take the loose pawn on a5.
27.Rf3 Rg8
28.Nb5!?
A deliberately provocative choice, taking another piece away from the defence when 28.Ne2 looks safer. This had to be accompanied by deep calculation, and shows Carlsen's amazing sangfroid under pressure.
28... Be5
29.Ng4 Qh4
30.fxe6 fxe6
A potential chance for the advantage arose here via the exchange sacrifice 30... Rxg4! 31.hxg4 Qh2+ 32.Kf2 Nf4! 33.Rg3 Nxe6! and Black has full compensation for this material and possibly more.
31.Nxe5 dxe5!?
Turning down the chance for a draw by 31... Qe1+! 32.Rf1 (32.Kh2? Nf4! wins for Black!) 32...Rxg2+! 33.Kxg2 Qg3+ 34.Kh1 Qxh3+ with perpetual check.
32.Qxe6 Qe1+?
In severe time trouble Black makes the fatal error, going for a perpetual check that is no longer there. 32... Qg5! 33.g4 Nf4 34.Qf5 Qxf5 35.exf5 h5 and Blacks active pieces offer reasonable drawing chances.
33.Kh2 Rxg2+
34.Kxg2 Qxd2+
Or 34... Qe2+ 35.Kg1! Qxf3 36.Qxh6+ Kg8 37.Qe6+ Kf8 38.Qf5+ exchanging queens to a winning ending as the black a-pawn will soon be lost giving White two passed rook pawns.
35.Kg1 Qe1+
36.Rf1 Qe3+
37.Rf2 Qe1+
Or 37... Qg3+ 38.Kf1 Qd3+ 39.Ke1! Qxe4+ 40.Kd2 Qb4+ 41.Kc2! Qxa4+ 42.Kb2 Qxb5+ (42... Qb4+ 43.Ka2 Qa4+ 44.Na3 and wins) 43.Kc1 when the checks run out and White's queen and rook take over – e.g. 43... Ng7 44.Rf8+ Kh7 45.Qg8+ Kg6 46.Qf7+ Kh7 47.Rg8 and wins.
38.Kg2 Resigns
After either 38... Qxe4+ 39.Kh2! or 38... Nf4+ 39.Rxf4! White escapes the checks with a winning material advantage.
1-0
Solution: 1... Ne4+! 2.Kd3 (2.Be2 Qxe2#; 2.Kd1 Qd2#; 2.Qf2 Qxf2+ 3.Kd3 Qd2+ 4.Kc4 Rc8#) 2... Qd2+ 3.Kc4 Rc8+ 4.Qc5(c7) Rxc5(c7)#.